Tennis great Serena Williams is set to make a return to professional tennis at the age of 44, nearly four years after stepping away from the sport she dominated for more than two decades.

The Women's Tennis Association (WTA) announced on Monday that the 23-time Grand Slam singles champion has accepted a wild-card entry for the doubles event at next week’s Queen’s Club tournament in London, marking her first competitive appearance since the 2022 US Open.

Williams, a seven-time Wimbledon singles champion and six-time US Open winner, said Queen’s Club was the ideal venue to begin “this next chapter” of her career. Her doubles partner has yet to be announced.

The development has fueled speculation about possible appearances at Wimbledon, which begins on June 28, and the US Open later this year.

Former world No. 1 Lindsay Davenport said the comeback could be part of a gradual return aimed at competing in singles again, while tennis legend John McEnroe suggested Williams could be a contender at Wimbledon despite her age.

Current world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka welcomed the news, describing Williams as an inspiration and saying her return would be good for the sport.

Williams has not played competitively since the 2022 US Open, when she described her departure from tennis as an “evolution” rather than retirement.

The American great became eligible to return earlier this year after re-entering tennis’ mandatory anti-doping program, a key requirement for any professional comeback. Williams owns 14 Grand Slam doubles titles, many of them won alongside her sister, Venus Williams.